Today was a very pleasant day. There were a few climbs but nothing very difficult. Most of the ride was characterized by riding on narrow, quiet roads surrounded by hedgerows.
The hedgerows are extremely dense. I’ve read about the difficulty of Allied troops getting through them and the deadly benefit they provided to German troops who were often shielded by them. The bravery of the Allied troops who risked their lives (and often sacrificed lives) to free France was incredible.
As we got closer to Bayeux, our destination for the day and one of the sites of the Allied invasion, we often saw monuments and flags by the side of the road in recognition of the Allies’ sacrifice and bravery. One of the more poignant moments of the day was a monument to the American 29th Infantry Division that fought in the Cerisy area that we were passing through.
In 2024, a number of plaques were mounted on a long stone wall constructed for the purpose of recognizing men who lost their lives in the area. One of the plaques stated, “ In the fierce combat between D-Day 1944 and V.E. Day, 1945 the Division had 20,400 casualties, 50% of these in Normandy…”
After seeing that memorial I went into the Abbey de Cerisy-la-Foret which was built starting in 1030. In contrast to the ruined abbey I saw a few days ago, this very impressive abbey is fully intact. Soaring arches, worn marble floors was thousands of footsteps over the last 1000+ years, and magnificent architecture made this very impressive to say the least. If you want to learn more about it, see www.abbaye-cerisy.fr.
The end of our easy 40-mile ride brought us to Bayeux, a historic city, in part because of the Allied invasion at its seashore. It is also impressive because of the Bayeux cathedral, a remarkably preserved Norman jewel of medieval architecture. I took a number of pictures of it because it is so stunning. If you want to know more about it, see www.bayeux.fr/fr/decouvrir-bayeux/cathedrale-notre-dame .
I was looking forward to seeing the Bayeux Tapestry, but it is currently in London, while the Bayeux Cathedral museum is being repaired. The tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 230 feet long and 20 inches tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy, challenging Harold II, King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It is thought to date to the 11th century, within a few years of the battle. See more at Bayeux Tapestry – Wikipedia.
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